Minuteman High School Girls' Varsity Soccer Team Has Unforgettable Season

By Judy Bass

What makes some sports teams extraordinary often transcends the number of points scored in a season, the wins that are accumulated and the statistics that go in the record books. There is an intense camaraderie which unites the whole squad, a unity of spirit and purpose that binds everyone together long after their days on the playing field have ended.

That was the case for the girls’ varsity soccer team from Minuteman High School in Lexington this past season.
They approached their games with single-minded focus, letting their talent and preparation take them from milestone to milestone – first compiling a 13-3 regular season record, winning their division for the first time, then becoming State Vocational Champions. In the State Tournament, the Mustangs triumphed in the quarter finals before falling in the semis, their magical run suddenly over.

“They were all so into it,” said Coach Diane Dempsey, who was named Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year. “The kids genuinely supported each other. They were the best group of girls I’ve ever had” in ten years.

Senior Aibhlinn Moore of Medford, a tri-captain of the Mustangs, agrees that the team’s cohesiveness was a key factor in their success.

“We worked together as a unit,” she explained. “The last game of the season, State semi-finals, really showed who we were as a team. We understood that we were losing and it was essentially our last game together. However, using the love of the game shared throughout the team, we shined. Not one person walked off that field sad.”

Coach Dempsey, who played soccer herself as a student at Billerica High, did a great deal to reinforce the buoyant, unselfish attitude that characterized the Mustangs all season. Mutual respect, sportsmanship and compassion, the value of working together for a common goal – these were some of the priorities Coach Dempsey emphasized.

It all meshed with Minuteman’s educational mission in the classroom. Minuteman is an award-winning regional high school that gives students a competitive advantage by delivering robust academics and powerful career and technical skills. This combination gives students a competitive edge in the new economy. Minuteman prepares students for college and career success, with more than 60% of the school’s graduates typically pursuing a post-secondary education.

At Minuteman, she said, “We try to mold students to be ready for careers. That means being able to work together and learning to be part of the bigger picture.”

Perhaps Aibhlinn Moore expressed the essence of this remarkable team, coach and season best: “We respected each other, we respected our opponents, and we respected the game. Minuteman soccer has been the best four years of my life and I will miss it so much.”